martedì 19 gennaio 2016

E' una delle Feste più importanti dell'India...

Chiama a raccolta Milioni di pellegrini è

la festa del Kumbh mela nella città di Ujjain

ecco la descrizione in Inglese della Celebrazione e la sua storia

Kumbh The celebration of Kumbh Mela takes place at the four sacred places as per the position of Sun and Jupiter in different zodiac signs. Poorna Kumbh is held at Ujjain once in every 12 years when the zodiac sign Scorpio (Vrishchik Rashi) indicates the presence of Jupiter and Sun. Ujjain is located at the bank of Shipra River in western region of Madhya Pradesh and is seen as one of the most sacred places in India. The city is enriched with several religious shrines such as Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir, Mahakaleshwar, Vikram Kirti Temple and many others. On the occasion of Kumbh Mela the divinity and spiritual aroma of Ujjain meets its highest peak when millions of pilgrims take dips and worship sacred River Shipra. Sages and devotees from every nook and corner attend the religious ceremony of Kumbh Mela to attain salvation and libration from the vicious cycle of birth-death-rebirth.

KUMBH MELA UJJAIN

According The commemoration of Mela at Ujjain is known as 'Simhastha Kumbh Mela' in which the unique combination of divinity and purity is experienced when the crowd of ash-dubbed sages, priests, devotees gets fused together with the roaring of elephants and camels. People who witness the spiritual fest feel good fortune by their side and sense positive aroma purifying their souls and thoughts. Major attraction of this festival is 'Shahi Snan' (royal bath) which takes place on predetermined dates varying every year. It is believed that those who take royal bath in holy Shipra River on the occasion of Kumbh Mela wash their sins of all previous births. The devotees consider it as an opportunity to get them revived from the never ending birth cycle.

UJJAIN KUMBH MELA DATES

Singhastha , or Poorna Kumbh Mela was celebrated at Ujjain in the year 2004 spanning from 5th of April to 5th of May. The ritual of Shahi Snan was conducted on 4th of May, a day of full moon (Poornima) as per lunar calendar. Nearly ten million devotees across the country graced the festival with their presence on this auspicious day. Ujjain hosted the Ardha Kumbh in the year 2010 where numerous Hindus witnessed the occasion. In the year 2016, next Simhastha Kumbh Mela will be commemorated in Ujjain. Do not miss the opportunity and embrace your soul and material body with the sacred nectar bestowed by God.

Main Bathing Dates for Ujjain Kumbh Mela

22 April 2016 (Friday)

Purnima – Full Moon (First Snan)

06 May 2016 (Friday)

Vaishakh Krishna Amavasya

09 May 2016 (Monday)

Shukla/Akshey Tritya (Second Snan)

11 May 2016 (Wednesday)

Shukla Panchami

17 May 2016 (Saturday)

Ekadashi & Pradosh Snan

21 May 2016 (Saturday)

Purnima

KUMBH HISTORY

The first written evidence of the Kumbha Mela can be found in the accounts of Chinese monk Xuanzang (alternately Hsuan Tsang) who visited India in 629-645 CE, during the reign of King Harshavardhana. However, similar observances date back many centuries, where the river festivals first started getting organized. According to medieval Hindu theology, its origin is found in one of the most popular medieval puranas, the Bhagavata Purana. The Samudra manthan episode (Churning of the ocean of milk), is mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana.

The account goes that the Devas had lost their strength by the curse of Durvasa Muni, and to regain it, they approached Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. They directed all the demigods to Lord Vishnu (full story on kumbh mela) and after praying to Lord Vishnu, he instructed them to churn the milk ocean, Ksheera Sagara (primordial ocean of milk) to receive amrita (the nectar of immortality). This required them to make a temporary agreement with their arch enemies, the Asuras, to work together with a promise of sharing the wealth equally thereafter. For the task of churning the milk ocean, the Mandara Mountain was used as the churning rod, and Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the rope for churning. They churned the ocean for 1000 years, where demons were holding Vasuki's head and Gods were holding its tail. Finally after this entire churning process, Dhanwantari appeared with Kumbh in his palms.

However , when the Kumbha containing the amrita appeared, a fight ensued. To prevent the amrita (elixir of immortality) from demons, its safety was entrusted to Gods Brahaspati, Surya, Shani and Chandra. After learning the conspiracy of the Devtas, demons turned vicious and attacked them. Devtas knew that demons possessed more power and can easily defeat them. The Devtas ran away with the Kumbh to hide it away and they were chased by Asuras. For twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human years) the Devas and Asuras fought in the sky for the pot of amrita. It is believed that during the battle, the drops of amrita fell down from Kumbh at four places: Allahabad (Prayag), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. Because 12 days of Gods are equivalent to 12 years for humans; the Kumbh Mela is celebrated once every 12 years in each of the four places - banks of river Godavari in Nasik, river shipra in Ujjain, river Ganges in Haridwar, and at the Sangam of Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati in Allahabad, where the drops are believed to have fallen.

KUMBH IMPORTANCE

Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river. It is the world's largest religious gathering. It is held every third year at one of the four places by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayag), Nasik and Ujjain. Thus the Kumbh Mela is held at each of these four places every twelfth year. Ardh ("Half") Kumbh Mela is held at only two places, Haridwar and Allahabad, every sixth year. The rivers at these four places are: the Ganges at Haridwar, the confluence (Sangam) of the Ganges and the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati at Allahabad, the Godawari at Nasik, and the Shipra at Ujjain.

Kumbh means a pitcher and Mela means fair in Hindi. The pilgrimage is held for about one and a half months at each of these four places where it is believed in Hinduism that drops of nectar fell from the Kumbh carried by gods after the sea was churned. The festival is billed as the "world's largest congregation of religious pilgrims". There is no scientific method of ascertaining the number of pilgrims, and the estimates of the number of pilgrims bathing on the most auspicious day may vary; approximately 100 million people attended the last maha kumbh mela 2013 at allahabad.

Mauni Amavasya traditionally attracted the largest crowds at the kumbh mela, held from 14 january 2013 to 10 March 2013 in Allahabad.10 February 2013 was the biggest bathing day with 13 Akharas taken bath to sangam, and probably the largest human gathering on a single day. Over 45 million devotees and aesthetics took holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.